abundance of the most necessary minerals, the finest timber, the 

 purest water, everything that man could desire. There is no 

 crop that grows above the 35th parallel that will not do as well 

 or better here. While this section has long been noted for its 

 manufacturing, its chief glory is in its splendid farms. This 

 division consists of a terrace covering over 9,000 square miles, 

 which circularly rims the greatest limestone basin called the Cen- 

 tral Basin with its 5,450 square miles. This basin is the bed of 

 an ancient lake which received the waters of the Cumberland and 

 other streams. The basin is not a level plain as might be sup- 

 pose:!, but it is a succession of hills and vales with a deep lime- 

 stone soil, well watered by springs, creeks and rivers. The Cum- 

 berland River forms the outlet for the waters of the northern 

 part and Duck River for the southern part. 



The capital city, Nashville, is situated near the center of the 

 basin, and the center of the State, on the banks of the Cumberland 

 River in the heart of the finest farming region on the globe. It 

 is recognized as the educational center, not only of Tennessee, but 

 of the South. 



Nowhere in all this broad land did the Indians, the original 

 owners of the soil, fight harder to maintain their ancient homes 

 than in the country around Nashville. The Anglo-Saxon won. 

 as they always do, but at a frightful cost in blood. Few fam- 

 ilies of the pioneers but mourned the loss of loved ones. But 

 the prize was worth the sacrifice. 



The Cumberland Plateau, most of which lies in Middle Ten- 

 nessee, is a high table land that rises 2,000 feet above sea level. 

 The plateau lands are not as fertile as are those in the valleys and 

 the basin, but they may be made productive by the use of fertil- 

 izers and intelligent cultivation. The plateau soils are especially 

 adapted to fruit and vegetable growing. Most of the largest or- 

 chards of the State are to be found there, and the fruit crop sel- 

 dom fails. The plateau is underlaid with coal of the best quality. 

 It is capped with sandstone; the soils are thin, sandy and porous. 

 It is often flat for many miles, then again it is rolling and di- 

 versified with hills and valleys. It is well watered with springs, 

 creeks and rivers ; many of its mineral springs have long been 

 famous for their medicinal qualities and as resorts of health seek- 

 ers. The whole plateau is one vast sanitarium. It contains many 

 good towns and a population of splendid people. The eastern 

 edge of the plateau presents an almost continuous line of bold cliff 

 that forms in places an impassable barrier. Its western side is 

 an irregular slope, jagged and scalloped with deep coves and val- 

 leys which broaden out into the .Middle Tennessee Basin. 



The lands on the plateau and on the highland rim are the low- 

 est in price in the State, ranging from $2.50 to §25 per acre. But 



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